Pipe-wrench



PIPE WRENCH.

(N0 Model.)

5 mm w, g L M M d m m e F m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, FRANK L. FELGER AND ROBERT D. SHAFER, or FAYETTE, onto.

PIPE-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,424, dated August2'7, 1895.

Application filed November 30, 1894- Serial No. 530,464. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. FELGER and ROBERT D. SHAFER,citizens ofthe United States, residing at Fayette,in the county of Fulton and Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful Pipe-Wrench, of which thefollowing is a specification. Our invention relates to an improvement inpipe-wrenches, and the objects in view are to provide a simple,inexpensive, and efficient wrench adapted for use with equal facilityand security upon large and small pipe, rods, and burrs.- renches forengaging pipes or rods of small diameter have been constructedheretofore, as also have wrenches for engaging both large and smallpipes and rods but it is difficult to secure a wrench of simpleconstruction which will engage pipes of all sizes with equal facilityand which will engage the large pipes with the same security as smallpipes.

The object of our invention, therefore, is to so construct the fixed andswinging jaws with relation toeach other that when the latter isdeflected to the greatest extent the wrench is still adapted to engagesecurely with a pipe of the greatest size which can be passed betweensaid jaws, and that the eifect in operating the wrench is, as with smallpipes and rods, to increase the clamping action in proportion as greaterpower is applied, and, furthermore, to adapt the wrench for engagingpipes of all sizes between the largest and smallest sizes with equalefficiency.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wrench embodyingour invention. Fig. 2 is a side View showing the relative positions ofthe jaws when engaging a pipe of small diameter. Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the relative arrangement of the jaws and engaging a pipe ofthe'largest diameter which can be received therebetween. Fig. 4 is aside view, partlyin section, of the wrench with the jaws closed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlugs.

1 designates the fixed jaw, which is attach ed rigidly to and ispreferably integral with the handle 2, and 3 represents the swingingjaw, provided with a shank 4, which is pivotally connected to the fixedjaw, said fixed jaw being slotted, as shown at 5, for the reception ofthe reduced tongue 6 on the movable jaw, and a spring 7 being arrangedin said slot and hearing at its free end against said tongue to hold theswinging jaw normally in its closed position. The tongue 6 of themovable jaw is an extension of the shank 4 beyond the pivotal point ofsaid shank, and it extends beyond the rounded extremity of the shank toform a single abrupt shoulder, against which the extermity of the spring7 bears, said shoulder being approximately in the plane of the axis ofmovement of the jaw and the pressure of the spring against said shoulderbeing in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the shoulder when thejaws are in the closed position indicated in Fig. 4. The spring remainspermanently in engagement with this shoulder of the swinging jaw in allpositions of the latter, and hence exerts a constant tension in thedirection of closing the jaws, whereby when the object is engagedbetween the jaws the'serrated faces thereof are held permanently inengagement with the surfaces of said object. The spring being located inthe slotof the handle and being pressed downwardly or into the slot asthe swinging jaw is moved from the fixed jaw, it is obvious that thespring remains permanently in the slot and is concealed and protectedthereby against contact with objects during the use of the wrench. Byreason of the extension of the shank and the peculiar relative positionof the spring the pressure of the latter has substantially the sameeffect upon the jaw in all positions of the latter.

The fixed jaw has a gripping-face of compound curvature, the outerportion thereof being convened and the general direction thereof beingat right angles to the length of the handle, and the inner portionthereof bein g concave and the general direction thereof being obliquewith relation to the handle. The convex curve of the outer portion ofthe face merges into the concave portion without forming an abruptangle, and hence a portion of the gripping-face, as shown at 8, isapproximately straight, and is arranged at an angle of approximatelyforty-five degrees to the longitudinal axis of the handle. Beyond thispoint 8 the face of the jaw is convex, as shown at 9, and on theopposite side of said point 8 the face is concave, as shown at 10. Theswinging jaw is provided with a continuouslyconcaved gripping-face, theouter portion of which, as shown at ll, being but slightly concaved,while the inner portion thereof, as shown at 12, is abruptly concaved.The gripping-face of the swinging jaw has its initial point or inner endat a greater distance from the pivotal point of connection of the jawsthan the inner or initial point of the grippingface of the fixed jaw,and therefore when the jaws are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, theabruptly-concaved portion 12 of the swinging jaw is located opposite theouter convexed' portion 9 of the fixed jaw. When the jaws are separatedsufficiently to receive a small pipe or rod, the abruptly-concavedportion 12 of the swinging jaw engages one side of the pipe or rod andthe convexed portion 9 of the fixed jaw engages the other side of saidpipe or rod. Hence the abruptly-concaved portion 12 is adapted to engagea greater portion of the surface than if the curve were less abrupt. Asthe swinging jaw is moved from the fixed jaw, it will be seen that theabruptly-concaved portion 12 comes opposite, first, the approximatelystraight portion 8 of the fixed jaw and then the concaved portion 10,but when i the jaw reaches its outermost position, as shown in Fig. 3,the abruptly-concaved portion 12 of the swinging jaw has receded too farto engage a pipe, and the slightly-concaved portion 11 of said jaw isopposite the concaved portion 10 of the fixed jaw. When the parts are inthis position, the straight obliquely-set portion 8 of the fixed jawinclines from the 1 portion 1] of the swinging jaw and thus provides forthe easy insertion of any pipe or rod 1 which can be passed between thejaws, and as the two surfaces between which the pipe or rod is receivedare both concaved-namely, 3

the surfaces 10 and 11-a sufficient extent of the surface of the pipe isengaged to insure jaws are opened to their greatest extent the concaveportion 10 of the gripping-face of the fixed jaw merges into the line ofthe adjacent edge of the shank of the swinging jaw, and

therefore, as shown in Fig. 3, said inner edge of the shank does notinterfere with the en- 1 of small diameter the abruptly-concaved portion12 insures the engagement of a plurality of teeth with the pipe, and asthe swinging aw is moved outward from the fixed jaw the engaging portionof the swinging jaw is brought successively opposite a portion of thefixed jaw, having less and finally no convexity, and is then broughtopposite a portion of the fixed jaw which is concave, thus still furtherincreasing the engaging-surfaces. When the jaws are extended to receivea pipe of the greatest size which can be gripped by a wrench, thesurfaces 11 and 10 agree at portions of their length with the curvatureof the surface of said pipe. The longitudinal slotting of the fixed jaw,said slot extending approximately to the center of the serrated face ofthejaw, and the pivoting of the shank of the swinging jaw in advance ofthe rear end of the serrated face of the fixed jaw provides for thefront edge of the shank serving as a stop to limit the insertion of anobject between the jaws. Thus the front edge of the shank forms a thirdpoint of contact of the wrench with an object grasped thereby and servesto steady the wrench upon the object and insure the proper engagement ofthe serrated faces of the jaws. In other words, the shank is in aposition to bear against the side of an object grasped between any twopoints of the jaws, the point of engagement being determined by thediameter of the object, and hence the separation of the jaws. Theextremity of the swinging jaw projects beyond that of the fixed jaw whenthe jaws are in their normal positions, and said swinging jaw isprovided with an abrupt or flat-faced terminal which is adapted to bepressed against a pipe or other object in order to force the swingingjaw back sufficiently to allow said object to slip between the jaws. Inother words, this flat extremity of the swinging jaw provides for theseparation of the jaws to admit an object to be grasped withoutrepressing the jaw by hand, and hence a projection of the swinging jawadapted to be grasped by the hand of the operator is unnecessary in thewrench embodying our invention, thus enabling the latter to be used in aconfined space with facility. A further advantage derived from the useof a shank 4e, pivoted in advance of the rear end of the serratedporproper manipulation. Furthermore, when the tion of the fixed jaw, isthat the jaws may be separated sufficiently to disengage the teeththereof from an object arranged therebetween preparatory to removing thewrench from the object. In order to accomplish this the wrench is pushedforward or toward the ob ject, and hence the resistance offered by theobject presses the shank back and thus increases the interval betweenthe jaws, where'- upon the wrench may be turned laterally by swingingthe handle to either side and thereby removed from the object withoutspecial manipulation of the swinging jaw.

Having described our invention, what we claim is A wrench having a fixedjaw integral with a handle and provided with a compoundlycurved serratedface, said fixed jaw and hanextending in the jaw from the rear end to apoint approximately at the center thereof, a swinging jaw having aconcave serrated face and a reduced shank pivoted within said slot, thepivotal point of the shank being in advance of the rear end of theserrated face of the fixed jawand said shank being extended beyond itspivotal point to form a tongue 6 of which one side provides an abruptshoulder located within the slot of the handle in all positions of theswinging jaw and arranged approximately in the plane of the axis ofmovement of the jaw, the extremity of the swinging jaw being abruptandbeing adapted to project beyond the end of the fixed jaw when theswinging jaw is in its normal position, and the front edge of the shankbeing adapted to form a stop to limit the insertion of an object betweenthe jaws and determine FRANK L. FELGER. ROBERT D. SHAFER. Witnesses:

CHAS. SHERIFF. SAML. SHEFFER,

